Alleged misconduct: NAPPS suspends its President Yomi Otubela.

Alleged misconduct: NAPPS suspends its President Yomi Otubela.

By Fashina Shakiru.

 
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Lagos State, Nigeria (NAPPS) has suspended its National President, Chief Yomi Otubela, owner of Lagoos school, Orile Agege, over tenure elongation, gross misconduct, and allegedly misappropriation of funds, Fly Cable News learnt. 

In a letter of suspension signed by the NAPPS Lagos Chapter, President T.Y. Amusa and General Secretary, Alaka Yusuf, sighted by Fly Cable News, the association noted with concern the recent ‘illegal’ extension and activities of its President, suspended indefinitely as a member of the NAPPS Lagos state chapter. 

The statement reads: “The resolution came as a result of resolving the crisis within the stipulated time of threatening the life of our association and failure to manage the affairs of the association rather than escalate the crisis. Failure to obey the directive of the Board of Trustees on the controversial constitution amendment process embarks on and removes Prince Adesina Raji, board of trustees, South West, without due process.” 

Our correspondent speaking with NAPPS’s immediate president, Lagos State, Amusa on the phone revealed that Chief Yomi Otubela, who served as the immediate past president, completed his term in office in October 2023 and refused to relinquish his position, adding that the association turns into a tool for his personal interests and misuse of union funds. These claims have further led to a reported freezing of the association’s accounts, causing embarrassment and financial distress within the organisation. 

He further accused Chief Otubela of misappropriating over one hundred million Naira (N100 million) in savings of the NAPPS building/land project in a state co-operative account. This mismanagement was facilitated by Pastor Olujide Durodola of Durba School, Maya Ikorodu, who was appointed as Treasurer. Otubela was also involved in fraudulent activities, altering the association’s Corporate Affairs Commission documents to change the Board of Trustees. He plans to transfer the organisation’s assets into his own name, potentially affecting the association’s operations and financial health. 

According to him, Chief Yomi Otubela is involved in fraudulent activities, altering association documents to change the Board of Trustees, and exploiting its nefarious activities to gain time by filing a court case, raising concerns among members. He is visiting banks to gather account balance information and No-Debt-Restriction on certain associations’s accounts.

 Also an aggrieved member, the Board of Trustee, South West, Prince Adesina Raji, filed a court-suite FHC/L/CS/279/2024 affidavit at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on its president over alleged plan tenure elongation and an attempt to change the association’s constitution.

 A Certified True Copy file obtained by Fly Cable News reads, “The Plaintiffs who participated in the National Delegates Conference in October 2023 ceased to be members of the National Executive Council of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools upon the completion of their four-year single tenure on November 22, 2023.” 
 
“The plaintiffs in the affidavit in support of the originating summons are denied paragraphs 2(a) and (b) of the affidavit in support, stating they no longer served as members of the National Executive Council of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools after their four-year single tenure. The plaintiffs also argue that the 2nd to 13th defendants remain trustees and the 14th to 22nd defendants were members of the Electoral Committee.” 

“As it’s National Executive Council allegedly introduced the amendment of Articles 79(i) 80(i) (ii) of the NAPPS Constitution into the agenda of an extraordinary National Delegates Congress without prior notice to members of the Association. Notices of the amendment were not communicated to members of various chapters of the association. The majority of members did not consent to the amendment, particularly the provisions of Articles 79 (1) and (3). The proposed amendments were not put forward for amendment or review.” 

The proposed amendment to the 2017 Constitution of the Association of National Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) was deemed illegal, void, and of no effect, as rejected by the majority of delegates at the October 23, 2023 National Delegates Conference.
 

While Raji noted that “the amendment was viewed as a breach of the association’s 2017 Constitution and a calculated attempt by the 1st plaintiff to extend his tenure. The 1st–22nd defendants released a communiqué dated November 7, 2023, expressing their true position on the alteration, which was a result of the plaintiffs’ tenure extension agenda.” 

NAPPS National Legal Adviser, Barrister Abitogun Stephen, said the two South-West BOT members suspected the National President’s clandestine move to alter the NAPPS constitution in 2017, writing a complaint to CAC. The Registrar-General, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), acknowledged the complaint and approved resolutions passed by NAPPS members before October 23, 2023, where the National President and his team claimed to have amended the constitution.
 

However, Stephen noted that the association has not provided evidence of the resolution passed by a simple majority of NAPPS members and the commission’s approval before October 23, 2023. The association also notes that publications made after October 23, 2023, were made after the claimed amendment date.  

When Fly Cable News messaged and called Chief Yomi Otubela for comments on the matter on Sunday, he did not respond at press time.